Battery



H. W. FORTH Dec. 17, 1940.

BATTERY Filed Feb. 4, 1936 INVENTOR f/enry I4, Por'fh ATTORNEYS PatentedDec. 17, 1940 BATTERY Henry Porth, Freeport, Ill., assignor, by mesneassignments, to Burgess Battery Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation ofDelaware Application February 4, 1936, Serial No. 62,302 V 10 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved terminal construction forbatteries, in which exposed socket-typeterminals are used and areadapted to cooperate with spaced plugs or prong-type terminals to makeelectrical connection to the battery. The construction is particularlyadapted for batteries used in conjunction with hearing aid devices, onradio batteries, and the like.

At the present time batteries for hearing aids, also called earphonebatteries, usually are made with spaced sockets or jacks mounted thereinwhereby the plugs or prong terminals attached to the cords used inconnection with the hearing aid device may be readily connectedtherewith. A wide variety of these batteries is made to match the largenumber'of different types of prongs which are used with the hearingaids. In general two and sometimes three spaced plugs or prongs are usedto make the necessary electrical connection with the socket of thehearing aid battery. Three to five or more prongs may be used with radiobatteries. These prongs often are not spaced properly and also wear withuse, so that it is desirable to provide a battery construction in whichthe spaced sockets accommodates prongs which are not spaced accurately.The diameters of the prongs also "ary. The battery manufacturer isrequired to work to close tolerances unless the. construction is suchthat the spacing between sockets need not be maintained accurately.

Among the objects of this invention are to provide a battery in whichthe sockets accommodate themselves to slight variations in the spacingand dimensions of the prongs and also to provide a construction whichdoes not necessitate holding the spacing of the sockets to closetolerances.

I have foundthat'the objects of this invention may be attained if thesockets or jacks of the battery are mounted in soft flexible rubber orother rubber-like material instead of hard brittle pitch, sealing wax,molded synthetic resins, vulcanized fiber, etc., and the other hardmaterials which are now used. This rubber is soft or resilient enough toallow a small lateral movement of the sockets whereby" inaccuratelyspaced plugs are easily accommodated. If the sockets also are resilient,the rubber backing allows the socket to accommodate itself also tovariations in dimensions of the prongs. Although all of the sockets usedin one battery may be mounted in this way it may only be necessary, forexample, to

mount one of a pair of sockets in soft or pliant rubber since the onesocket may, allow enough movement even though the other is held rigidly.

My construction also makes it unnecessary to provide means on the prongsfor making good nary socket the prongs may be slotted alone or '5,

they maybe provided with a slot into which is set a spring memberextending beyond the prong. With use the spring members break 01f or theslots close giving rise to poor contact between the rigid sockets andthe prong.

The following specification is to be read in conjunction with thedrawing in which: Fig. 1 is a cross section of an ordinary two cellhearing aid battery in which my construction is used; 7 .1 Fig. 2 is across section of a battery closure in which the sockets are mounted insoft rubber plugs; Fig. 3 is a plan view of a closure employing aspecial type of rubber terminal block and socket; Fig. 4 is a crosssection on line 4-4 of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a detailed view, on an enlargedscale, of the special terminal of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a plan view of another type of terminal construction; 2

Fig. 7 is a cross section on line l'l of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a plan view of another type of terminal construction;

Fig. 9 is a cross section on line 9-9 of Fig. 8;

Fig. 10 shows a construction in which the sockets are not parallel toeach other; and

Fig. 11 shows a single cell in which the pitch seal usually used isreplaced by a pliant rubber stopper in which sockets are mounted.

In Fig. 1 the battery consists of two cylindrical 3 dry cells H] and I2connected in series by a connector strip l4 and separated by -.aninsulator strip IS. The batteries are held within a suitable containerI8 which extends above the tops of the cells. Into the open top of thecontainer a pliant rubber closure is inserted. Closure 20 is providedwith exposed apertures or openings 22 and 24 in which metal sockets orjacks 23 and 25 are mounted. These sockets may be split part way asshown to allow for variations in the prong diameters, the socket beingexpansible because of the pliant backing. The sockets are connected tothe terminals of the battery by conductors 26 and 28 which pass througha top insulation member 29. The beaded-over top edge 5 portion 2| of acontainer I8 holds the closure 20 in place. In Fig. 2 the closurecomprises two pliant rubber plugs or stoppers 30 and 32 which containopenings 3| and 33. Sockets 3E and 36 are ,38 of reduced thickness.

sockets.

mediate strip is cut away, leaving a section 48.., When the socketmember is arranged in block 46,

mounted in these openings. The rubber plugs are embedded in sealingwax31, pitch, or the like. They may, however, be held in position byfiber board, sheet metal or other suitable material. It is obvious thatone of these sockets may be anchored directly in the sealing wax, etc.,as hereinbefore pointed out and the advantages of-my invention obtained.

In the form shown in Figs. 3 to 5, I provide a pliable rubber terminalblock 40 having a section The terminal block is held in sealing wax 4|.The terminal of this form of the invention is especially useful whereseveral spacings of holes are used to accommodate a number of prongspacings. The sockets of any one polarity may be formed of a singlesheet of metal 42 as shown in Fig. 5. This metal preferably is of thinspring stock such as beryllium copper. The end portions 44 and 46 arerolled on themselves, as shown, to form the Preferably a portion of theintersection 48 clears the thin portion 38 of the block as shown. Asingle conductor 50 is used to connect both sockets of such a pair to aterminal of the battery. Although the sheet metal need .not be partiallyremoved from between the two rolled ends and may be enclosed by thepliant rubber, it is obvious that the fabrication is simpler if thesection is removed as described. Small projections or. beads may beformed in the sockets to secure better contact with the prong to hold orsecure more firmly prongs in which a circumferential groove is formed.This type of construction permits the use of prongs of varyingdimensions since the socket accommodates itself to such variationsbecause of its flexible sheet metal with pliant rubber backing types ofterminals as shown in Figs. 6 and '7.

The rubber block 52 having openings 56 and 58,

is mounted on a fiber support 60 and anchored.

by sealing material 6|. The terminals 62 and 64 are formed of springstrip metal and are slipped into the openings 56 and 58 as shown. Thesize of the openings is such that the terminals are held'firmly therein.If the terminals are made of yielding material it is obvious that prongsof varying diameters may be used since the-terminals may flex into thepliant rubber walls with which they contact.

In the form shown in Figs. 8 and 9 the pliant rubber closure 66 for thebattery container 68 contains two elongated slots and 12 in whichZ-shaped strips of metal I4 and 16 are mounted. These strips may bedirectly connected to the cell terminals as shown. The terminal prongsare inserted in the long slotted opening. If desired the opposite sidesof each of the slotted openings may be lined with strip metal. Becauseof the flexibility of the sheet metal, its combination with the pliantbacking permits the use of prongs of varying" dimensions.

In Fig. 10 the two sockets 16 mounted in pliant rubber 18 are slightlyout of line, that is, they are not exactly parallel to each other. Thisfeature is exaggerated somewhat in Fig. 10 for purposes of illustration.Because of the pliant rubber backing for the sockets it is possible tohave the sockets slightly out of line and still insert rigidly mountedparallel spaced prongs 80.

Good contact between the prongs inserted there in and the sockets issecured thereby without springing the prongs.

Although my invention has been described in connection with an earphonebattery it is obvious that it may be applied to other types of batteriessuch as radio batteries with which socket terminals are often used. Inradio batteries the rubber stopper, or insert construction of the typeof Figs. 3 or 6 is favored. The three or five sockets usually used aremounted in such a stopper and this is then sealed into the pitch orsealing wax or otherwise mounted on the battery.

Although the construction has been described in connection withbatteries containing a plurality of cells, it may be used with a singlecell battery or the pliant or resilient terminal block may be used asthe seal for the cell itself as illustrated in Fig. 11. stopper 82 sealsthe open end of zinc can 84. The carbon rod 86 with brass cap 88 alsoterminates in stopper 82. Sockets 96 are embedded in rubber'stopper 82and are connected with the negative zinc can 84 and positive brass cap88 by conductors 92 and 94. The exposed terminals and conductors may beinsulated by a suitable enamel, lacquer or other coating material. I

The invention as defined by the claims is not limited to the specificexamples disclosed above which are merely illustrative thereof. Whenevera battery is referred to in the claims it refers to constructionconsisting of one or'more cells and includes a construction of thetype.-

shown in Fig. 11.

I claim:

1. A closure for the open end of a battery, said closure comprising apliant rubber-like portion having an aperture therein extendingdownwardly from the exposed surface of. said closure, said closurehaving a second aperture therein extending downwardly-from the exposedsurface thereof, and electrical contacts mounted in said apertures forconnection to the terminals of the battery. i

2. A plug-in battery closure comprising an exposed pliant rubber-likeportion having a pair of spaced apart apertures therein extendingdownwardly from the exposed surface, at least one of said aperturesbeing in said pliant rubber-like portion, whereby said aperture in saidpliant rubber-like portion is capable of being distorted or shiftedlaterally with respect to the other aperture, and an exposed electricalcontact for connection to the battery mounted in each aperture andadapted to cooperate with a prong for making electric contact with thesurface of said prong.

3. A plug-in battery closure comprising an exposed pliant rubber-likeportion having a pair of spaced apart apertures therein extendingdownwardly from the exposed surface thereof, whereby said apertures arecapable of being shifted laterally with respect to each otherby-distorting the pliant rubber-like material surrounding them, andexposed electric contacts for connection to the battery mounted in saidapertures and adapted to cooperate with prongs.

4. A plug-in battery closure having an aperture therein extendingdownwardly from the exposed surface thereof, said battery closureincluding an exposed pliant rubber-like portion having a second aperturetherein extending downwardly from the exposed surface, whereby saidaperture in said pliant rubber-like portion is capable of being shiftedlaterally with respect to the other aperture to vary the spacing betweensaid apertures by distorting said pliant rubberlike portion, and anexposed electrical contact for connection to a terminal of the batterymounted in the aperture in said pliant rubber-like portion, and adaptedto cooperate with a prong for making electrical contact with the surfaceof said prong.

5. A closure for the open end of a battery comprising a pliantrubber-like portion containing apertures therein extending downwardlyfrom the exposed surface thereof, exposed sockets in said apertures, anelectrical connection between two of said sockets, said two socketstogether with the electrical connection between them comprising a stripof sheet metal having the end portions thereof rolled backon itself toform said two sockets, said two sockets being positioned at twodifferent distances from a third one of said sockets in said aperturesin said pliant rubber-like portion when said rubber-like portion isundistorted, said sockets being adapted to be connected to terminals ofthe battery, whereby said sockets are capable of altering their spacingby distorting the pliant rubber-likematerial so as to accommodateseparately a plurality of two-prong plugs having different spacingsbetween their prongs.

6. A closure for the open end of a battery, said closure comprising apliant rubber-like portion having an aperture therein extendingdownwardly from the exposed surface of said closure, and an exposedelectrical socket-like contact in said aperture and fitting snuglytherein, said socket contact being so arranged and of such constructionthat the walls thereof accommodate themselves to prongs of variablediameter inserted therein, said closure having a second aperture, a

second exposed electrical socket-like contact in said second apertureand spaced from the first socket-like contact, said contacts beingelectrically connected with the terminals of the battery.

prising a block of electrically insulating material, a plurality ofspaced sockets of electrically.

conducting material in said block and exposed in one surface thereof, atleast one of said sockets being surrounded by pliant rubber-likematerial whereby said socket is capable of undergoing limited lateralmovement.

8. A closure for the open end of a dry cell comprising a pliantrubber-like portion having an aperture therein extending downwardly fromthe exposed surface of said closure, and an exposed electrical contactmounted in said aperture, said closure having a second apertureextending downwardly from its exposed surface and spaced from the firstaperture, an exposed electrical contact mounted in said aperture, saidcontacts being electrically connected with'the terminals of the cell.

9. A closure for the open end of a battery, said closure comprisinga'pliant rubber-like portion having an aperture therein extendingdownwardly from the exposed surface of said closure, said aperture beinga long slotted opening, an electrical contact mounted in said aperturefor connection to a terminal of the battery, said electrical contactbeing strip metal which lines at least one long side of said aperture,said closure having a second aperture therein extending downwardly fromthe exposed surface thereof, and an electrical contact mounted in saidsecond aperture for connection to the other terminal of said battery.

10. The construction of claim 9 in which the second aperture also is inthe pliant rubber-like portion of the closure, saidsecond aperture alsobeing a long slotted opening having an electrical contact therein, saidelectrical contact being strip metal which lines at least one side ofsaid aperture.

HENRY W. PORTH.

